Update, 7/23/15 2:17 p.m.
Uber has emerged victorious from their struggle with Mayor de Blasio.
New York City Deputy Mayor Shorris said they've "agreed to maintain [Uber's] approximate current rate of growth."
We're not that surprised that the government sided with Uber-- for now. What we're most surprised by are the actual numbers.
Today, an email from Uber stated that each month, 100,000 new NYC riders try the app for the first time.
That's not all, though. The citizens of NYC turned out in overwhelming support for Uber and against de Blasio's cap proposal. Here are the numbers.
49,239 emails were sent to City Hall and the City Council. 18,623 New Yorkers tweeted using the hashtag #UberMovesNYC. 35,000 New Yorkers signed up as a new Uber rider over the past seven days, setting a new NYC record.
So what was the fallout?
Uber has agreed to work with Mayor de Blasio's administration and the City Council to "collaborate on a transportation study, and work together on ways to continue expanding economic opportunity, mobility, and transportation access across the city."
And us? Well, we're just glad everyone's finally getting along.
7/21/15 12:45 p.m.
If you’re on Uber’s email list, you know they were not super stoked with Mayor de Blasio last week.
De Blasio announced on Thursday that he plans to limit the number of Uber drivers on the road to alleviate the city’s congestion problem. The number of taxi-esque vehicles on New York City's roads has grown more than 60% since 2011.
Uber was not happy about it.
If you were looking for an Uber this past Thursday in New York, you might have been met with a “de Blasio” option, which meant that either no cars were available nearby, or a long wait time was estimated.
Was this showdown inevitable?
In just a few years since its inception, Uber has bulged exponentially in NYC, with thousands of vehicles on the road. In that time, the city's average daytime speed limit in Manhattan's business districts has fallen from 9.15 mph, to 8 mph, according to The New York Times.
Which is really effin' slow. But is the snail pace of NYC's roads completely Uber's fault?
The controversy's major spark is that the yellow-cab industry includes some of de Blasio's highest contributing campaign supporters. The City Council vote is expected this week on a proposal that would cap Uber's growth.
Now, Uber's NYC general manager Josh Mohrer, has asked de Blasio to participate in "a live-streamed conversation so all New Yorkers can watch," Crain's reported.
Mayor de Blasio, however, immediately turned down the proposal.
"I don't debate with private corporations. Let's be clear, Uber is a multibillion-dollar corporation, and they're acting like one," de Blasio said.
"We fully support drivers having more personal flexibility and economic opportunity, which is why we are proud UberX drivers earn over $25 per hour and a majority work 34 hours or less per week, whereas taxi drivers need to pay $130 a day just to rent a medallion and need to work a full 12-hour shift to make a living," Mohrer wrote.
Uber's smaller competitor, Lyft, is worried that the proposal would entrench Uber's dominance if they're denied the chance to grow.
The fact of the matter is that subway is more populated than it has been in the past 65 years. Uber exists as a response to a growing population who have together put a strain on this city's subway system.
So what say you, New Yorkers? Do you think the Mayor should put a cap on Uber? Let us know in the comments.
Check out $5 Lyft Rides Attempt to Overshadow Uber's $10 Ride-Sharing Deal.
[Feature Image Courtesy: NBC New York]